Lawn Service too soon?

[Mike Wallace]

I came home today to the little sign in my yard and this note on the door:

"Sorry we missed you. Your lawn was treated today with a granular fertilizer. This will help with a early spring greenup. I recommend a first time short 2" mowing going back to a longer 3" cut height. The next application will control problem weeds and crabgrass. Thank you."

Now from what I have been reading, was this a waste of money? Is this advice correct in the opinion of those that know more than I do?

[LwnmwnMan2]

Too early.

Really nothing else to be said.

Your grass will green up when it's warm enough out. Fertilizer is not going to help it green up any sooner.

Look around, do you actually see the pellets in your grass?

[LwnmwnMan2]

Plus, applications should be 5-6 weeks apart at the SOONEST. If they put down fertilizer today, they SHOULD be waiting until the second week of May for crabgrass preventer then.

At that point you've missed the window.

Was it a "Green" company?

[LwnmwnMan2]

Plus, plus....

I don't understand the short mowing. There are different types of grass which get scalped in the spring, such as Bermuda or St. Augustine, I don't exactly remember which since we don't have it here in the cool season grasses.

Jefferyd can probably chime in a little on that, being from AZ and all.

The reason I can see for a customer to tell you that would be you'd be getting down into the stem of the grass blade, which would then cause your yard to be all "brown" and "look" like it really really greened up, when in fact you're just seeing the blade of the grass again.

Think of it of mowing over a mole hill, and skimming the grass shorter than usual. You'll see a "tan" spot in the grass, but it grows right back.

[hotrod1]

I believe it's bermuda grass that you make the first cut after the last hard frost shorter then normal to remove a bunch of dead top growth.

Never heard of that with any cool season grasses.

[Mike Wallace]

Yep,

Little white and opaque pellets. 16-0-4, urea and potassium chloride. 3 lbs/1000 sq. feet, 11,000 sq. feet = 37 lbs.

I was concerned about this and it was on my list to call them to find out when they were starting...guess my list was too long.

The fert/preventer stuff I have no idea about, but I would have never, and will not, mow that close.

Last year, they did their first application on April 14, and it was fertilizer and preemergent combined. I am not feeling good about the schedule this year.

Yes, it was a "Green" service.

[jeffreyd]

in the fall, we scalp the bermuda to nearly the dirt and do a power rake to thin it out. then come in with a sand, fertilizer, rye grass mix. the sand holds and covers the seed so the rats with wings dont eat all the seed. then we water for no more than 3 min 5-6 times a day to keep everything wet, remembering that the air temp might be in the 80 or 90s still. biggest thing is that we water at night so the moisture can absorb. now in the spring, the rye will die off and normal mowing will help bermuda come in. now is the time to throw extra seed in bare spots, fert or ironite, and i put gypsum down to help open the soil so the water will seep in. In the winter i only water once a week, summer 3 times a day 9 pm, 3 am, and around noon to help cool off the grass and soil. Now is the time to put tree spikes in the ground for fertilizer and also to start our gardens. Our soil temps are about 67 now and with a warm up will be over 70.

[LwnmwnMan2]

Yep,

Little white and opaque pellets. 16-0-4, urea and potassium chloride. 3 lbs/1000 sq. feet, 11,000 sq. feet = 37 lbs.

I was concerned about this and it was on my list to call them to find out when they were starting...guess my list was too long.

The fert/preventer stuff I have no idea about, but I would have never, and will not, mow that close.

Last year, they did their first application on April 14, and it was fertilizer and preemergent combined. I am not feeling good about the schedule this year.

Yes, it was a "Green" service.

Well, you somewhat have them over a barrel.

If they applied at full rate, then they shouldn't have to reapply for at least 6 weeks. If they reapply in 3 weeks like they're going to say they need to, and they do that at the rate that's on the label, you're going to have (2) full rate applications overlapping and you're paying for product you don't need, or moreso, don't want.

[Tom7227]

Seems to me that all they were doing was spiking your account so you would renew this year. Did they contact you to see if you wanted it or just come out and do it? I think the pre-emergent is a total waste because it's so early that it will wash out or be ineffective when needed. I wouldn't pay for it and cancel the service.

For the pros out there - is something like this a violation of any of the rules?

The Green Squirters are a waste of money.

[LwnmwnMan2]

It's not technically a violation of any law.

In my opinion it's a violation of common sense.

Mike, you can call, complain, and most likely get a free application.

It's not going to do much for your lawn, but that's beside the point now.

My point before has been this. In order for these companies to get 5-6 rounds of fertilizing in, they HAVE to start now, and even then be applying every 4-5 weeks.

If you're using a good fertilizer from a reputable source, you should be able to go 6-8 weeks between applications.

If you do the calculations at the end of the season, the big big companies are just as expensive as the smaller guys doing less applications.

Just because you're getting less applications, that doesn't mean your yard is going to be worse off.

Chances are it could be better.

Tom - if you reread the original post, they didn't put down any preemergent, they just put down a normal fertilizer, and the NEXT application would be for weeds and unwanted grasses.

[Tom7227]

Tom - if you reread the original post, they didn't put down any preemergent, they just put down a normal fertilizer, and the NEXT application would be for weeds and unwanted grasses.

Sorry for the mistake, but I still think they're a rip off no matter what they put down. IMO if you can't find an hour to buy the stuff and spread it then you should concrete your yard.

[LwnmwnMan2]

No Tom, that's not the right attitude to have. The right attitude to have is to support homeowners / cabinowners / landowners the proper way to care for and maintain their property.

Just as many would say your comment about concrete the whole yard, they would say that would produce ungodly amounts of runoff.

Just as last summer or the summer before, Quetico was on here touting the positives of no-mow fescues, and stating that you don't need as many chemicals and fertilizers.

We all have different wants, needs and abilities (not to mention wives, kids, families) that will allow different amounts of effort into our own yards.

If anyone saw my yard, they'd never believe I own a lawn service.

It's as bad as a yard can get. I just don't have the time, nor do I want to spend 3 hours on my own yard when I just got home from working 12 hours on others' yards.

I've actually hired people to finish landscaping projects on my own yard, as I just run out of time or energy to do them myself.

[Mike Wallace]

That about sums up things for me. With a 5 and 7 year old, the few hours after work or on a weekend are more valuable spending time with my kids than with my yard. I know that I could do it myself, but I don't want to.

It may be a "ripoff" to you, but when I don't have any dandilions all summer, it is worth it. Although it took about 3 years, they got rid of all the Creeping Charlie (well, as much as anyone can). I've been very happy with the service I have received.

I am glad to have a place to come and ask a question and get several answers from different perspectives. I value all of them.

Thanks, all, for your opinions.

[fishing is hot]

So who is a good applicater in the NW suburbs?

[jeffreyd]

lawnman that is what mechanics say about their cars too, their buddies autos are fixed and in far better shape then their own cause we dont spend time on them. I would fix anyones auto or fire truck but my truck was beat up and on its last leg. sounds the same for the landscapers too

[IcePro]

Yep,

Little white and opaque pellets. 16-0-4, urea and potassium chloride. 3 lbs/1000 sq. feet, 11,000 sq. feet = 37 lbs.

This only breaks down to .54 ponds per thousand. That is not a bad amount of nitrogen to put down in the spring. Compare this to over the counter fertilizer and majority of it is close to 1.0 pound per thousand.

You can not go by the fertilizer ratio on the bag, you need to do the math.

I do not use a lawn service, I do my own fertilizing and lawn care. I personally feel that this application was OK.

[fishuhalik]

I actually work for the Big Green company, and if you have any questions and don't want any [PoorWordUsage], let me know, I'll give ya the straight up answers instead of sales pitch. I've worked here for 5 years now and feel that I have a pretty good handle on what's going on in a lawn.

[SFC]

I always went with 4 treatments per year. If I had more than a few weeds or if the neighbors lawn was greener I would call and they would take care of it free of charge. Fish would u go with 4 treatments or 6? {wont be offended if u dont answer that.} The first time I fertilized my lawn I burnt it pretty bad on every corner, went with a lawn service after that for awhile, they did a nice job. Price got to high and to many phone calls from them to trim trees,bushes etc. Educated myself and doing my own, dandelions are actually a pretty flower-weed.

[jeffreyd]

i am thinking of killing all of my lawn and putting it in desert landscape, my wife would have my hide tho. I get so tired of mowing when it is 200 degrees and my water bill takes a hit in the summer.

[SFC]

Makes sense since u live in the desert. Maybe get some astro turf.

[CJH]

Never understood trying to grow grass in the desert......

[fishuhalik]

SFC, you're good w/ 4 as long as you space them out correctly. Do them about 6-7 wks apart and then a late fall winterizer and you should be good to go. Just keep in mind that different lawns require different care. Try experimenting with something different every year until you get the results you want.